Conflicting reports have surfaced suggesting JAY-Z is nowhere near to becoming a co-owner of a NFL team.
According to CBS Sports, sources connected to NFL ownership and the league office say it’s nothing more than a “TMZ-reported rumor” and there are “no plans in place” for the newly minted Hip Hop billionaire to become a NFL owner.
The sources added the alleged rumor had people within the Roc Nation team and NFL offices trying to determine where the information originated.
It’s possible Hov could acquire part of a team at some point through his work with the league and its owners. But first, he would have to be vetted and approved by membership.
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“Those kinds of deals don’t exist in the NFL,” an ownership-level source told CBS Sports. “There is no ownership component to this arrangement.”
Chatter about his NFL team co-ownership started shortly after it was announced Jay and Roc Nation had partnered with the NFL for a music and social justice campaign.
The bold business move has created a flurry of controversy with many detractors citing the move to be a slap in Colin Kaepernick’s face.
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[This article has been updated. The following was published on August 16, 2019.]
JAY-Z raised a few eyebrows earlier this week when it was announced he and Roc Nation have decided to partner with the NFL for a music and social justice campaign.
According to TMZ Sports, the Hip Hop billionaire is poised to become a co-owner of an unspecified NFL team “in the near future.”
Sources close to the situation state Hov is not only a “huge fan” of the NFL team but also wants to continue to be a “change agent” for the professional football league. They added, “Jay is not an NFL agent and does not take part in the operations of the NFL players in Roc Nation.”
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Jay drew criticism from some people who see it as a slap in Colin Kaepernick’s face. The former San Francisco 49er quarterback attracted national attention when he started kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice.
But as reported by the New York Times, Hov plans to contribute to the league’s Inspire Change initiative, a campaign created after multiple players followed Kaepernick’s lead. Despite Jay’s intentions, Kaepernick’s girlfriend and radio personality Nessa expressed her disappointment.
“I don’t mind you doing a business deal – but I do mind you wrapping it in social justice when you’re working with an organization that denies someone an opportunity,” she said during her Hot 97 show.
In an Instagram post, she added, “It’s typical for the NFL to buy different PR looks to cover up their dirt – that’s nothing new. But what is disgusting and disappointing is Jay-Z let them use him.”
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Nessa (and Kaepernick’s attorney) also denied Hov ever spoke to Kaepernick prior to striking the deal.
“THIS is a lie,” she wrote. “COLIN never spoke to Jay-Z and NFL ahead of that deal being done. They NEVER included him in any discussion.”
